NYPD officer murdered in 'unprovoked attack'
NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - In what the NYPD commissioner called an assassination, a New York City police officer has died after being shot in the head in a police vehicle in the Bronx. Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, died at a hospital early Wednesday.
Police say other officers shot and killed the suspect a short time later after he drew a revolver on them.
They say the attack happened in the Bronx just after 12:30 a.m. while the officer was sitting in a mobile command vehicle with her partner. Her partner radioed for help while other officers spotted the suspect and began chasing him.
"Shots fired! 10-85!" the officer is heard shouting after the gunfire, including the code for an officer down. "My partner's shot! My partner's shot! My partner's shot! Hurry up central!"
The gunman has been identified as Alexander Bonds, 34, from Rev. James Polite Blvd. in the Bronx. He was an ex-con out on parole for a 2014 robbery case in the Syracuse area. Police were unaware of any connection between Bonds and Familia but they said surveillance footage showed him marching up to the vehicle "with purpose" before firing one shot through the window.
Police sources close to the investigation said that Bonds had more than half a dozen arrests, including one for assaulting a police officer with brass knuckles in 2002 and others for drug charges. Bonds made numerous rants against police officers on what is believed to be his Facebook page.
"Based on what we know now, it is clear that this was an unprovoked direct attack on police officers who were assigned to keep the people of this city safe," Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill said. %INLINE%
Familia was a 12-year veteran of the NYPD. She was about to end her shift for the night when the shooting took place. Officers gathered outside her precinct Wednesday morning and the flag on top of the building was lowered to half-staff.
"This kind of violence against police officers can not stand. We need the public's help," PBA president Patrick Lynch said at an overnight news conference.
Familia was assigned to a mobile command post in the area due to gang violence. The command post had been in that location since March.
The NYPD released an image of the revolver they say was used to kill Familia. Bond's rap sheet included a 2001 bust for beating up a cop in Queens,
Police reported a bystander was shot and injured when Bonds was confronted and killed. They were reported to be in stable condition at a hospital in the area.
Two NYPD helicopters patrolled the skies above the scene and officers guarded the investigators from surrounding rooftops.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.